Key Points
The death toll rose to 62 in the migrant tragedy off Italy's southern coast after rescue crews recovered three more bodies on Monday, driving home once again the desperate and dangerous boat crossings of people seeking to reach Europe..
The beach at Steccato di Cutro, on Calabrias Ionian coast, was littered with the splintered remains of the 20-meter (65-foot) boat as well as the belongings the migrants had brought with them, including a toddlers tiny pink sneaker and a yellow plastic pencil case decorated with pandas...
Would-be refugees leaving Turkey have increasingly taken the more lengthy and dangerous Mediterranean journey to Italy to avoid Greece where authorities have been repeatedly accused of pushing back migrant boats to Turkey..
Italy's government under Premier Giorgia Meloni has focused on trying to block migrant boats from departing, while discouraging humanitarian rescue teams from operating in the central Mediterranean where Libyan-based smugglers operate..
Melonis government has concentrated on complicating efforts by humanitarian boats to make multiple rescues in the central Mediterranean by assigning them ports of disembarkation along Italys northern coasts..
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16, Jun, 23Even before Wednesday’s deaths, at least 1,039 people were known to be missing from Central Mediterranean crossings this year. Actual figures are likely to be even higher, with some disasters not even recorded.
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